Maidan

Minsk, 19 March 2006
23:32 A. MILINKEVICH HAS CALLED ON ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE MASS DEMONSTRATION IN MINSK TO GO HOME AND GATHER TOMORROW AT 18.30 ON OCTOBER SQUARE
Minsk, 19 March. Presidential candidates Aleksandr Milinkevich and Aleksandr Kozulin laid flowers at the Eternal Flame on Victory Square in Minsk. Then Aleksandr Milinkevich called on all participants in the mass demonstration in Minsk to go home and gather tomorrow, 20 March at 18.30 on October Square. By that time, he said, they would have both official results and the results of independent exit polls.
Aleksandr Milinkevich also said: "The police are already on our side, they are honest people and already now do not carry out unlawful orders”.

DEMONSTRATORS HAVE ARRIVED AT VICTORY SQUARE
At 23.20 around six thousand people arrived at Minsk’s Victory Square to lay flowers at the Eternal Flame
Participants in the protest action chanted slogans in support of presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich and against Aleksandr Lukashenko, and waved white-red-white flags, as well as Russian, Ukrainian and European Union flags.
Сергей ПУЛЬША, БелаПАН.

23.05 A column of demonstrators moves in the direction of Victory Square. There is a huge number of people, more than 20000. The mood is excellent, drivers greet them by using their horns and with “victory” signs. There is a feeling of euphoria. (Radio “Svaboda”)

22.53 People are beginning to leave the square in large numbers. The reasons are that it’s hard to hear what is being said (people don’t understand why they’re standing there, what people are saying, what’s going to happen next), and it’s cold. You can assume, therefore, that in an hour or an hour and a half, there will only be one or two thousand people left. The police are present, but they’re standing 1-2 metres away, without shields, and they don’t interfere.

22:50 Milinkevich has called on people to come to the square at 18.30 tomorrow

On the square there are speeches by well-known artists, musicians, journalists, and they all say that Lukashenko has lost and that Belarus will be free. The crowd was delighted by the speech of Irina Khalyp. The journalist said: “Lukashenko is simply ridiculous because he’s s**t
People remain standing on the square. They are addressed by deputies of the Polish sejm, the German Bundestag and representatives of the Russian Party of Right Forces (SPS).

Aleksandr Kozulin has just made a speech in which he stated: “People, you are free! You don’t need to be afraid any longer. In Belarus there really has been a revolution. Nobody will ever force you on to your needs again. We are free people!”
He called on the police offices to stop serving a dictatorial regime and to stand in defence of their own people.

Milinkevich thanked all those who had come to defend their choice. “Belarus has now become a totally different country. It is now a new free Belarus which will no longer be forced to its knees. We have proven to ourselves and to the whole world that we wish to live in a free, democratic and European country. We do not recognize the results of these presidential elections. We are winning!”

From roofs people are being aimed at with snow cannons firing artificial snow, in imitation of a snow storm. You can’t see a thing on the square. But everybody understands that the snow is a fake and they continue to stand there. People laugh because it’s like a circus act. Police officers begin to wave in a friendly way at people on the square. At this stage there are more than 30 thousand people on the square.

The presidential candidate Aleksandr Kozulin has arrived at the square.
Both candidates stand together on the steps.
Equipment has been brought to the square. The candidates will soon address the people from the steps of the Palace of Trade Unions.
Sergei Kalyakin has just announced that according to the results of an exit poll, Aleksandr Milinkevich gained more than 30% of the votes. That means that there should be a second round of voting in the country.

A white-red-white flag has been raised on the building of the Palace of Trade Unions
According to the Head of Aleksandr Milinkevich, Sergei Kalyakin, people are arriving at October Square from polling stations. At this time there are tens of thousand of people.

Aleksandr Milinkevich has arrived at the square. He will made an address on the steps of the Palace of Trade Unions.
He is greeted by the crowds of people who are chanting “Zhyve Belarus!” [“Long live Belarus”] and “Milinkevich!”

Despite heavy snow, more and more people are arriving on the square. It is difficult to estimate how many exactly since the lines of people seem never-ending.
On streets adjacent to the square, there are no less than 20 thousand people. Activists from Milinkevich’s headquarters are maintaining control and asking people to not step out onto roads.
The passenger of a bus passing by just climbed on to the roof of the bus and raised a huge white – red –white flag. People cheered, chanting “Zhyve Belarus!”, “Svoboda!” [“Freedom!”], “My pobedim!” [“Victory will be ours!”

20.45 About 10 thousand people have gathered on the square.
Since the square is only partially free, people are gathering on adjacent streets. All the cars that go past signal their support.

More and more people are arriving at the square. Right now they are ringing their friends and relatives and calling on them to come to the square to defend their choice. Cars driving pass signal to express solidarity with the people who’ve come out onto the square. There’s an incredible amount of noise on the square.

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